Zamboanga City – Seven cities and eight provinces in Mindanao and Visayas have been placed under “terrorist threat level III” or a high terrorism threat level by the National Intelligence Board, Special Monitoring Committee.
The cities under a high terrorism threat alert are Zamboanga, Marawi, Isabela, Kidapawan, Dipolog, Dapitan, and Cotabato.
The eight provinces under the same alert are Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao; Palawan in Luzon; and the southern part of Negros Island.
ABU SAYYAF GROUP AND BIFF
Casimiro explained that raising the “terrorist threat level III” is due to persistent reports that the ASG and of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are reportedly waiting for an opportune time to launch bombing attacks and engage in kidnap for ransom activities in the area.
He said he has ordered all police station chiefs to adopt stricter measures appropriate to the situation to prevent the terrorists from operating in the city.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco said that all the police, military enforcement operatives must maintain a heightened level of alert, no matter what the national threat is to make sure that we are always on our toes.
KIDAPAWAN ON ALERT
In Kidapawan City, Mayor Joseph Evangelista confirmed that the city is on a heightened alert due to terror threats coming from several armed groups.
“We are actually on heightened alert even before intelligence reports from different agencies [came out],” he said.
Evangelista, during the fourth quarter meeting of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) held here last week, disclosed that several business establishments in the city had already received “extortion” letters from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New Peoples’ Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
City police director, Superintendent John Miridel Calinga, said he learned about NICA’s report early October this year in a meeting in General Santos City.
Calinga said the NICA used as basis in its claim the location of Kidapawan City which is located adjacent to areas where threat groups are believed “hiding.”
GOV’T-ASG CLASHES CONTINUE
Meanwhile, fighting between government forces and the ASG continued to rage in Al Barka, Basilan, bringing the number of casualties to 38 – 18 fatalities and 20 wounded.
Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said three of the fatalities were soldiers, including a Company commander with the rank of captain, while 15 were ASG gunmen.
Of the 20 wounded, 13 were soldiers and seven ASG bandits.
Skirmishes in the island began last Sunday as government forces stepped up their operations against the militant Islamist group.
“This is a focused military operation… there was intelligence build up after we received information that the Abu Sayyaf is putting up a camp in the area,” Tan said
http://www.mb.com.ph/7-cities-8-provinces-placed-under-high-terrorist-threat-alert/
The cities under a high terrorism threat alert are Zamboanga, Marawi, Isabela, Kidapawan, Dipolog, Dapitan, and Cotabato.
The eight provinces under the same alert are Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao; Palawan in Luzon; and the southern part of Negros Island.
Zamboanga City Police Director Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro theorized that the National Intelligence Board placed the city under the high level terrorism alert because of its proximity to Basilan and Sulu, where the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) operates.
Casimiro explained that raising the “terrorist threat level III” is due to persistent reports that the ASG and of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are reportedly waiting for an opportune time to launch bombing attacks and engage in kidnap for ransom activities in the area.
He said he has ordered all police station chiefs to adopt stricter measures appropriate to the situation to prevent the terrorists from operating in the city.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco said that all the police, military enforcement operatives must maintain a heightened level of alert, no matter what the national threat is to make sure that we are always on our toes.
KIDAPAWAN ON ALERT
In Kidapawan City, Mayor Joseph Evangelista confirmed that the city is on a heightened alert due to terror threats coming from several armed groups.
“We are actually on heightened alert even before intelligence reports from different agencies [came out],” he said.
Evangelista, during the fourth quarter meeting of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) held here last week, disclosed that several business establishments in the city had already received “extortion” letters from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New Peoples’ Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
City police director, Superintendent John Miridel Calinga, said he learned about NICA’s report early October this year in a meeting in General Santos City.
Calinga said the NICA used as basis in its claim the location of Kidapawan City which is located adjacent to areas where threat groups are believed “hiding.”
GOV’T-ASG CLASHES CONTINUE
Meanwhile, fighting between government forces and the ASG continued to rage in Al Barka, Basilan, bringing the number of casualties to 38 – 18 fatalities and 20 wounded.
Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said three of the fatalities were soldiers, including a Company commander with the rank of captain, while 15 were ASG gunmen.
Of the 20 wounded, 13 were soldiers and seven ASG bandits.
Skirmishes in the island began last Sunday as government forces stepped up their operations against the militant Islamist group.
“This is a focused military operation… there was intelligence build up after we received information that the Abu Sayyaf is putting up a camp in the area,” Tan said
http://www.mb.com.ph/7-cities-8-provinces-placed-under-high-terrorist-threat-alert/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.